


I’m gonna show you crazy

by Rxx



Series: Phoenix paradox [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Multi, Protective Azula (Avatar), Zuko Redemption, Zuko's Scar (Avatar), crazy zuko, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:08:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25884109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rxx/pseuds/Rxx
Summary: AU in where Zuko is the sibling who went mad while Azula is the gentle and caring one.Eventual redemption arc for Zuzu and maybe some Zukka
Series: Phoenix paradox [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948954
Comments: 14
Kudos: 122





	1. Fire burns hotter the closer you get

Zuko felt the sun in his skin, he felt it’s warm, and more importantly, he felt the power. With a high kick he draw a circle of fire, some of the flowers his mother had planted burn with the intense heat, but he didn’t mind, why would he mind if he had all this power at his mercy?

“Zuzu, I don’t think mom would like if you burn her entire garden” Azula was near the pound feeding the turtle ducks 

“And how many times do I have to say that I don’t care? She was a traitor to the fire nation, she got what she deserved" 

Azula tried to hide the pain that words caused her, but apparently, she wasn’t good enough, or maybe her brother was too good on reading her expressions, he always was.

“Come on Zula, dad is waiting for us” both siblings walked by the place and entered the throne room

“Prince Zuko, I received many reports from your bending masters saying that you have some conflict issues” his voice was cold as always, many times she doubted they were family, but then she remembered what Zuko had become 

“ I’m afraid that reports are wrong, the only thing I did was being better than them, of course, they felt humiliated and tried to bother you with that” Zuko answered with a voice almost as cold as their father, almost

“ If you are so sure about your skills then show me” Zuko stepped further 

“Yes, father”

He started using very complicated firebending forms, forms that she didn’t know existed, but it was truly mesmerizing, he was almost dancing, but it was a dangerous dance, like dancing with a dragon, he ended up with some complicated hand movements and, for one moment, she thought there was lightning in his hands, Ozai seemed to se the same thing because he yelled “Stop” Zuko froze in his place, afraid of having made a mistake

“You just prove your words are true Prince Zuko, your skill level is way beyond your tutor's abilities” Ozai was proud of his son, or maybe he was proud of the weapon he had become 

“From now on you will start training with me” Zuko was so happy, he could die right there

“It is an honor for me, father” he bowed and then stepped back, staying at her side 

“Now, princess Azula, your reports have really disappointed me, I hope you improve in the following days or I will have to send you to the colonies” good, if she ended in the colonies she wouldn’t need to worry anymore about all the royal stuff and firebending 

“You are free to go now” both siblings bowed and leave the room 

They went to the turtle duck pound and stared at each other for some minutes until Zuko started talking

“Zula, I know you don’t like firebending, but if you don’t improve you will be sent away” he was trembling “I don’t wanna lose my sister” 

Azul a didn’t intend to harm Zuko, but she couldn’t let him sacrifice himself for her safety any more

“I know things have been difficult for both of us, but the farther I am from father, the safer I will be, you now that Zuzu” Zuko smiled sadly 

“When did you grow so much?” Both siblings hug as if it was the last time, and maybe it wasn’t the last, but it was close 

“I love you, always remember that Zula” he said with soft voice 

“I will always remember” 

Time passed and, since the princess didn’t show any progress, she was sent in a secret mission while her brother started his final training. The dragon of the west went with the princess to her mission and the two of them were not seen again.

Meanwhile in the South Pole, a young boy waited inside an iceberg, soon he would change the world.


	2. Fierce fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko and Azula are both on their own, and as things keep going, Ozai influence on Zuko’s life gets bigger with every step

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to say in the first chapter that this is my first story in English so if you find any mistake please leave it in the comments so I can fix it.
> 
> Kudos are really appreciated

“Princess Azula, you must focus on your breathing, there is where all your strength comes from” Said her uncle while playing Pai Sho with some crew members of the ship 

“Yes uncle, I will try” She closed her eyes and tried to feel her inner fire, but the closer she gets to it, the more memories she started relieved

She saw Zuko sleeping with some turtle ducks surrounding him, it was really adorable, then the memory changed, now he was sparing with their bending tutor, everything seemed nice until it happened

Zuko started laughing, but it wasn’t the gentle laugh from when they were both alone, no, it was a crazy laugh, like someone who has seen everything the world has, the horrors of the war, the harsh words of a monster they called father and suddenly realized that the word was crazy, so he must go insane to keep going

He attacked forward with a blast of fire so hot and so fast that, with one hit, their tutor was sent to the infirmary and ended up with permanent injuries in both arms that he used to protect himself 

She could never forget that day, the day she realized what their father was doing to Zuko, he was turning her brother into a monster!

And she did nothing, absolutely nothing, she was a coward and took the first chance she gets to run away, leaving him alone, in the hands of their father 

She was brought into a comforting hug, she opened her eyes and saw the gentle look in the face of her uncle 

“You know Azula? When the pain is strong you can see what surrounds your, but if you try to open your eyes maybe you’ll see that there is more than bad things in this world” why does he always give the best advice?

“And what I am supposed to see?” Her uncle smiled

“How am I supposed to know that? Maybe you will found it if you come and play Pai Sho with me” Azula smiles for the first time in the day 

“Sure uncle, let’s go” 

In the fire nation’s throne room was a lonely boy, he was trying to learn to control lightning, but there was always something inside him that stopped the lightning to leave his fingers

He tried to do it again but the lightning exploded and launched him backward, he hit a column and fell to the ground, he was angry, according to his father this was a basic move but in the two months since he started training he couldn’t get it right not even one time 

“What are you thinking, prince Zuko” he didn’t notice his father entered the room 

“Nothing father, I just feel ashamed that I can’t get it right” Ozai get close to him and looked him in the eyes, they were fierce and burned like the embers of a great fire 

“Come with me prince Zuko, today you are going to learn something different” he nodded and followed the fire lord through the empty hallways of the palace 

They went to the caldera prison, the soldiers bowed when they see them, they ended up in a big room, by the burn marks this was the room used for interrogations and torture, 

“Fire lord is an honor to be in your presence” The one who looked like he was in charge spoke 

“ They are ready?” The man nodded quickly 

“ Yes my lord” he turned and spoke to one guard “Bring them” 

A few minutes after five prisoners were brought inside the room, they were metal-containing their hands

“ Now prince Zuko, these men are traitors, they tried to warn the earth kingdom and told them out military plans, but of course our best mean capture and bring them here” the look in his father’s face meant no good

“I’m surprised you didn’t send them to the boiling rock” yeah, it was really strange, his father usually didn’t do this kind of things, unless...

“I think you know why I bring you here” Zuko nodded, he knew there was no scape now “ Do it, and do not hesitate, I will notice if you do” 

While trying to control his trembling hands, Zuko stepped towards the prisoners, he looked at each one eye and moduled a silent single word 

“Sorry” 

The lightning was heard all over Caldera city, some say that the lightning was the one responsible for the destruction of the interrogation room of the prison, some others say that the prince was the one who made the lightning because some guards saw them that day at the prison, but the only thing everybody knows was that five of the prisoners were reduced to ashes

Nobody talked about it near the prince after one of the maids of the palace disappeared after speaking of it behind the back of the prince, the people whispered that something inside the prince had died that day, his eyes were like the fire of a dragon, savage and ready to attack at the first sign


	3. Raining blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko sees the war for the first time and he really liked what he saw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the things start getting to take form, I’m trying to make Zuko as coherent as I can, if you have any suggestion you can leave it in the comments!
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated

Two months had been passed and now the royal prince Zuko was in his first battle against the Earth kingdom, after a war meeting in which he had suggested using the 42nd battalion as bait, his father was proud of this strategy and send him directly to see the results of it

Right now he was waiting, hidden in the threes with the Yuyan archers as said battalion walked towards their deaths, the battle, if you wanna call that a battle, was very short, only a few seconds that took the Earth kingdom soldiers to impale, dismember and tear apart every single soldier, it was an amazing display of blood and cruelty, the prince was ecstatic that his plan was going perfectly, now the fun part starts 

From behind the Earth soldiers, the fire nation started their attack, with massive fire burst that demolished every stone wall that they tried to put, they were able to kill the entire faction in just a mere minute 

The smell of burnt flesh make the prince start laughing, he stepped out of the woods and into the ex battlefield, he went around watching the bodies while humming an old lullaby he had heard in the palace, he felt a hand touching his leg, he drops his head and watched in amaze how one of the soldiers was still alive, by the symbols of his burnt armor he was the general of this faction, well that was over, and soon, he will be to 

“How... could you do that?” Said with difficulty as probably his vocal cords were also severely damaged 

“In the war, you either win or lose, and you choose the loser side” he said with a grin in his face 

“You’re wrong” answered the man, he had to admit that this man had guts if he dared to talk like that to the royal prince 

“And how I’m I wrong?” This man was giving him so much fun, maybe he could keep him alive, as a pet 

“ You didn’t choose the winner side as much as I didn’t choose the loser one” that’s it, he was a dead man

“ You don’t know anything about me” he created a small fire in his hand to scare the man but he didn’t even flinch 

“ As you don’t know anything about me neither, but I do know that a child shouldn’t be in the war” that’s sad, it was fun while it lasted 

“ I’m not a kid and I don’t need to know anything about you, filthy peasant” he makes the fire grown until it consumed the captain, the only thing that was left was his helmet and the conversation still hanging around his head 

“ I did had a choice, and I make the right one” he said to no one “Or, at least, that’s what I hope” said a voice in his head


	4. Whispers behind my back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko wasn't okay, he knew what they were doing, he knew what they were saying, they didn't know that he knew and that was okay, he could work with it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your comments! They really help me improve my writing and motivate me, also I want to apologize for the delay in this chapter since I was in final exams I didn't really have a lot of time, but this week I finish everything and I hope that gives me more time to write more chapters.
> 
> As always any comments, suggestions or kudos are really appreciated

He woke up and started getting ready for the day with the help of the servants, but he recognized the look in their eyes, they were thinking that he was insane, and maybe that wasn’t so wrong, but he couldn’t allow a peasant to disrespect him like that. While walking through the halls he watches the servants and they looked at him, he recognized something in their eyes, something he doesn’t like but this time he decided to ignore them and went, as usual, to the caldera prison where he started training lightning bending, he stayed a long time there, the sun was beginning to hide when he determined that it was enough training, he left the place with a smile while inside the prison the population was cut in half

In his way back to the palace he tried to camouflage himself with the crowd, it gave him an inside vision of the capital and the people that live there, he heard the usual stuff, some illegal fights, some gossip and even news from the colonies, but he was surprised when he heard his name being mentioned in one of them

“Did you heard what the prince Zuko did in the earth kingdom?” Said one merchant between whispers, thankfully he was used to people talking behind his back, he had trained his ears to be able to catch even the softest whisper

“It has to be something great if the news came back here so quickly” answered a man, he was big and had strong arms, probably he was a fisherman, the strong smell only confirmed that

“I wouldn’t call it great” replied the merchant looking kind of perturbed “ I have family in one of the nearby colonies and they said that the prince was the one that commanded the slaughter of Ahn Shi Tong”

The other man almost choked “Are you serious? But he is only a child!” Oh god, please don’t begin with that again, if he had to hear that one more time he was going to lose his head

“I know, but you know what he did to the caldera prison only a couple months ago, you know is possible” the merchantman looked severely disgusted

“That kid is a monster, Agni bless us when he becomes fire lord” the men were scared of him, and that was good, his father said that fear is the key to control the fire nation, and that means that he was doing a good job, his smile only grew when the two men realized of his presence, he toke off his hood and walk towards them, one hand behind his back started casting the hottest flame he could make

"Well well well, what do we have here? I think you just were talking about me" the merchantman quickly fall to his knees and started begging for his life "Please my prince, forgive my life, I didn't intend to talk bad about your highness" Zuko looked at the fisherman who stood firmly in his place, his face was impassible and looked ready for a fight, but this wasn't going to be a fight, this was going to be a massacre " And you? you won't beg for your life? won't kneel before me?" His gestures turned into pure anger "I won't ever kneel before you while I'm alive" Zuko started laughing at this, this man was brave but sadly he was too focused wasting his strength in the wrong side " Then you shall kneel in your ashes!" with the flame he had been casting he started burning the man, he screamed and cried but everything ended too quickly and now before the prince lied a pile of ashes, the merchantman hadn't been fast enough to run from the flames and now had a lot of burn marks all over his body, he was terrified and trembling, there were marks of tears in his cheeks but the fire had burned them out " Are you going to keep talking shit about me?" the man was quick to deny with his head "No, my prince" the whole market was stunned watching the scene, the prince smiled watching all the fear he could see in their eyes, with an elegant motion he turned his back to the market and started walking towards the palace

He was back at the palace and he felt proud of causing fear, that meant that he was powerful just like his father and that was good, his father was good so he wanted to be like him. He went straight to the dining room, his father was already there, he felt ashamed for being late and full of shame he kneels, his face was facing directly at the floor, big was his surprise when he was lifted from the floor and bring into a hug, he went speechless, for the first time in god knows how many years his father was hugging him. The hug was short but left his chest burning like agnis fire, he looked at him with eyes full of pride " I was told about what happened at the market today, you made them respect your name and fear you, I'm very proud of you son" he had to bite his tongue to make sure he wasn't dreaming, it was way to perfect, everything he ever wished for was his father recognize him as his son and that was finally happening, the best part of all was that it was way easier than he originally thought, it had only taken him to kill a filthy peasant, it didn’t matter what everybody thinks he was, only his father matter, as long as his father loved him he didn’t need anything else

That night the prince sleep peacefully, and every single night after, it didn’t bother him how many people he had killed and that his hands were stained with blood, as long as his father feel proud of him he could do whatever was needed, even if that means giving him his life, and even more, even if he had to kill Azula to prove his worth


	5. Things are better the way they are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula gets punched in the face by reality and learns that even though some things are better the way they are, there are other things that she can change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry for the delay in this chapter but I was busy with the college interview I had just this week, I will try to post another chapter this very week.
> 
> As always comments and kudos are really appreciated, if you find grammatical mistakes please let me know in the comments

Some time has passed and the young princess was the happiest she had ever been, her uncle and her traveled across the world, she has seen the huge cities of the earth kingdom and even been in Kyoshi island once ( even though they needed to hide being firebenders it had been a wonderful experience) there wasn't a single moment she wasn't learning new moves or reading some Earth kingdom dramas (they weren't as good as the ones at home but there were fine) right now they were somewhere in the southeast part of the Earth Kingdom making a stop to buy some provisions, that was a week ago and two days ago her uncle had gone to visit some friend in the nearby, and old war general if she wasn't wrong, She got bored really fast and decided to take a walk by the town. It was so different from everything she had always known, the people here were very strong and rigid but they were kind to everyone who appears to be a victim of the fire nation, and the burns from her training with her uncle, may be better than the ones she used to have, but still were burns, and with the right outfit she could perfectly pass for a girl who escaped the fire nation soldiers, it make her sad that that was true in more than one way.

While passing by a fountain she heard some screams, Azula followed them directly to a near alley where two men were trying to steal from a mother and her daughter, the little girl was hardly ten years, tears were falling from her eyes and she was holding to her mother, trying to hide behind her, she could bear to look and do anything so he jumped in front of them and deflected some attacks (thank god for the days Zuko chased her with his new dual swords) but she was weak without her fire and one of the men, big like a bear, thrown her to a wall, she must have hit her head because everything started going in and out with black spots, she tried focusing her eyes on the big man but a new scream made her froze in her place, while she was fighting the other man had found his way to the girl and with a quick move stabbed her in the chest, blood was all over her bodie, she looked with horror at the knife and then she looked at her, not at her atackant, not at her mother, at her, at it make her feel sick, she pushed her bodie to move and run towards the girls that was falling to the floor, Azula's hands become stained in blood as she tried to stop the bleeding, but the girl was now laying limp, she was dead

Red fury ran through her veins and an unknown strength filled her body, she got back up and started attacking both men, but this time her fists were burning with fire, tears were falling from her cheeks as she continued to attack until there was nothing left in that alley but her and four piles of ashes, she dropped to her knees when she realized that, in her anger, she accidentally burned the woman and the body of the girl, the smoke should have alerted other people because she started hearing other voices coming close to her, she was scared, these people probably knew what she had done and were coming to lock her like the monster she was, she needed to get out and she needed to do it fast, she propulsed herself with the fire to the roof of the houses surrounding her, she jumped from roof to roof until she was far enoght that she could get down and walk like a normal person, internally she was thanking that the fire had also burned all the blood from her clothes, in no time she was in front of her ship were her uncle was standing, he was looking at her with infinity sadness, maybe he knew what she had done... Who was she trying to fool? probably he was thinking of a way to get rid of her or maybe ending her himself, she tried to talk but her lips keep trembling, he didn’t let her get lost in her thoughts again because he hugged her with love, love that she didn’t deserve for what she had done today, today she finally realized that no matter how hard and how many times she tried, she will be always the daughter of a monster, a monster herself

From that day a mysterious vigilante with a blue mask started to attack the criminals of the earth kingdom villages, he was particularly cruel with fire nation soldiers, he used small knives and never killed someone but you can be damn sure he gets close to that, where he went always smell like smoke, the one you see in a campfire it smelled like food, like a warm tea, like family, when the rumors finally made their ways to the fire nation colonies one soldier recognized the mask from the popular story love amongst the dragons and the people started calling him the blue spirit, the enemy of the fire nation and friend of the people


	6. A tale of two princesses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Although from rival nations, two princesses confess their hearts in the privacy of their diaries, hoping the day will come when they can express them out loud

Diary of the Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe

“Some of Father’s contacts in the earth kingdom have brought news about the fire nation, they say that Princess Azula was exiled to the colonies, my heart aches when I think of her, alone in a world she doesn’t know, in a world that hates her just because of her name, some soldiers from our tribe were sent to find her, dad thinks her loyalties may be changing now that her own father banished her, he thinks if we manage to get to her we could access to confidential information from the fire nation, others says that she is too unpredictable, like her brother, and it could be dangerous to bring her, I just think they are a bunch of hypocrites, they are ready to use the princess as a weapon but they do not even let me hold a knife for dinner.

I hope for Azula's sake that they don't find her and that she can take this opportunity to get away from this war that threatens to end everyone ... I wish I had the opportunity to do the same "

Diary of the Princess Azula of the Fire Nation

“Two weeks have passed since ... that day, my feelings are confused. Should I feel bad for running away? Should I be glad that the criminals passed away too? I don’t know, in any case Zuko was always better managing people's expectations than me, he always knew exactly what father wanted and how to give it to him, I for my part never even knew what I wanted, but I wanted to escape, right? I wanted to escape from that false life of luxury, that palace that was nothing more than a luxurious prison, I wanted to get out of there no matter the cost.

I naively thought that when the time came I would be the one who would pay the price for this freedom, but with each day more and more innocent people pay for my decision, I know my uncle doesn't want me to know but this is also difficult for him, being outside the palace reminds him that there is a world out there, and in that world Lu Ten no longer exists, outside the palace walls everyone seems to have forgotten the existence of my cousin, but in the palace his paintings continue hanging, in the same place as always next to his father's ones. 

Since that day I have not been able to make even the smallest fire, my hands are becoming soft and I am terrified to think that, if one day I regain the courage to tame fire, my body will not be able to bear it.

But among all the bad things, I miss Zuko, I miss the afternoons of you surrounded by turtleducks , I miss his smiles and the awkwardness with which he dealt with other people. Although I am on the other side of the world, rumors fly and the stories of what Zuko ... of what Prince Zuko has done do not stop horrifying me, with each new story I feel that something in me breaks, I fear that if some day I return home the person I will find is not my brother, but my father's weapon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m going to end this work in a few chapters to start with the next one that will be focused more on the actual avatar plot. As always your comments never fail to make me smile


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